This invention relates to masonry blocks and, more specifically, to masonry blocks which decrease thermal conductivity by utilization of non-masonry core materials.
Traditional concrete blocks have been of unitary construction with cross members and face members all formed of the same material, namely, concrete. An important consideration in masonry blocks is thermal resistence. The thermal resistence of a particular material is a relative measure of how quickly the material, block or assembly will allow heat to pass through it. In building and engineering terms, thermal resistence is referred to in terms of R-value. The more slowly the heat is allowed to pass through a material, the higher that material's thermal resistence is and, correspondingly, the higher the R-value which will be assigned to that particular material.
Traditional concrete blocks have spaces between cross members which may be filled with insulating material to increase the R-value of a wall or other structure constructed with the blocks. Such installation applications, however, have no affect on the thermal resistance of the concrete cross members in traditional masonry blocks. Adaptations of traditional concrete masonry blocks have been made to facilitate insertion of foam or other insulation material still utilizing a traditional block structure. It is also known to utilize light-weight concrete forms and non-masonry connecting members for these forms, into which concrete is poured to form a central concrete core. Other approaches have utilized exterior insulation on existing support concrete walls with insulation materials which adhere to the outside of the concrete support wall. Variations on this include a decorative, protective "skin." The prior art, however, does not disclose a block of traditional concrete size and load-bearing capability, attached to and separated by a uniform, solid insulating core which is manufactured and then delivered and installed as a one-piece unit.
While much of the prior art has been directed toward the construction of masonry walls using concrete blocks, with a goal of providing an ultimate wall of significantly increased R-value, the examples of prior art do not address the improvements of the present invention.
Traditional cement masonry building blocks generally contain rectangular face elements which, when utilized in construction of walls, are generally laid end to end and on top of each other in an essentially vertical plane to maintain structural and load-bearing support. Additionally, there are concrete cross members which hold the face elements of the block together at the desired interval. These are not essential elements, however, for load-bearing stability once the blocks are in place.
Examples of other attempts to address this problem include U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,189, to Millar et al, which discloses a monolithically poured concrete wall panel. U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,037, to Kennedy et al, for a building block insert, discloses a substantially serpentine integral insert and two outer supportive parts. U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,720, to Taylor, discloses an insulated cinder block split into two portions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,318, to Snitoviski, discloses an insulated block unit comprised of two building blocks strapped about an insulating core.
Any masonry block application which will allow for greater R-factor of an overall finished wall will result in lesser insulation requirements and the balance of construction and will result in significant cost savings and commercial advantage to the builder or, likewise, in the event that additional insulation is not added, in greater savings in cooling and/or heating costs to the owner of any completed structure.
Accordingly, irrespective of the prior art, a need continues to exist for an insulated masonry block which does not require separate assembly; which does not sacrifice vertical load-bearing capacity; yet which continues to provide a traditional two-sided exterior masonry surface which allows an overall uniform thermal resistence of the interior wall significantly greater than concrete.
Specifically, what is needed is an assembled masonry block having traditional load-bearing side elements, which may be stored, and utilized in construction in the same manner as traditional concrete blocks.